You can earn {a couple of hundred} {or perhaps a} few thousand dollars {monthly} working as a freelance writer.
Several of my students – like Karan and Felicia, have made very successful careers as {freelance article writers} (some as a side gig {along with} their 9-5 job).
How?
Think {of all} written materials {a good} tiny company {generates}.
Imagine a software company with 5 employees. Their annual report doesn’t write itself. {They want} a blog {to maintain} with {this content} marketing war. The {sales force} sends out sales letters and brochures to prospects.
The prospects want white papers, case studies. {Not forgetting} technical papers for {the specific} software.
Someone {must} write {everything} – and {the simple truth is}, {a lot of people} and businesses don’t {understand how to|learn how to} do it. {Plus they} don’t {desire to} learn.
Do {you understand} {just how much} they’re {ready to} pay for {you to definitely} just {take action} for them?
That’s {where one can} help. {You can find} {a large number of} people {searching for} freelance writers {each day}.
In this post, I’ll {demonstrate} {ways to get} your first 3 writing clients.
First, let’s {discuss} {what you should|what you ought to} {turn into a} freelance writer.
Bonus: {Need to know|Wish to know} {steps to make} {just as much} money as {you need} and {exist} {on your own} terms? Download my Your first goal {would be to} get 3 clients. {You don’t} {require a} blog {to achieve that}?
And notice I said 3 clients, {not only} 1 – {that may be} a fluke. Get 3. {After you have|When you have} 3 clients, you’ve proven {you have|which you have} {a trusted} base {of individuals} who’ll pay you {for the} services. {You can attempt} service offerings and prices {in it}. And now {you can begin} {with an increase of} complex marketing strategies.
Remember: Skip {all of the} fanciness {and obtain} 3 {visitors to} pay you first.
Getting your first client {is really a} 2-step process that I call Locate and Communicate.
Step 1: Locate freelancing clients
Who {can be your} exact client, and where do {each goes} {to consider} a solution {with their} problems? Where are people already {searching for} {answers to} problems and {how will you} {create a} match between them {as well as your} service?
Identify very specific leads in your very specific {marketplace} and {find out} where {each goes} {to consider} a solution {with their} needs.
Here’s {the method that you|the way you} {see them}:
First step {would be to} niche down your market. {Usually do not} {look for} every business {that may} need writing services – reports, copywriting, websites, emails, etc. NICHE IT DOWN. By location, size, revenue, {kind of} business, {and many more} options.
Next, {learn} where {each goes} {to get} writers. {Enter} their heads.
Research your audience. Email {some individuals}. Take them out to lunch.
Could you pitch one potential client {every day|every morning}? {You almost certainly} could {in the event that you} created {a contact} template. {Think about} 10 {on the} weekend, {using} different headlines/offers {so that you can} see {those} {are better}?
It doesn’t {need to} take {quite a long time}, {also it} doesn’t {need to be} agonizing…which brings us to {step two} 2.
Step 2: {Talk to} your clients
Email {will undoubtedly be} your {most significant} communication tool for pitching clients. I get pitched via email {at all times|constantly|on a regular basis|continuously} by {freelance article writers}. {The thing is}, these emails {are often} {much too} long {and also have} no clear point.
BAD EMAIL:
Subject: to {the true} ramit [Subject line is too vague]
Ramit (please forward to him, if VA reading),
I’m impressed, I’ve scanned {your site} from 2004 to now, left {several} comments and felt {the necessity to} contact you for networking, an offer, and advice. {This will} take you about 4 minutes {to learn}, I hope {it is possible to}. [Good compliments, but 4 minutes is {much too} long]
Background: I’m influenced by Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Leo Babauta, Rocky Balboa, and Steve Jobs. Effective efficiency meets ideas, {the energy} of less, {stength|perseverence} and innovation.
Status: Working 40 hours {weekly} until {I could} escape via passive or easily managed income. {I’m} IT support for an all Apple global consulting firm. I run [Company], a well oiled machine of an IT support, web development, and internet consulting company (just me and my VAs). I run [Website] – a chronicling of the stages {to become} self actualized to {the truth that} life isn’t how people {let you know} it is, {and you may|and you will|and you could} design it otherwise. {I simply} bumped up my pretax savings to 11% of my earned income. {I’m} unrelentingly {in search of} the break {that may|which will} come and free me {to call home} out my dreams of supporting people and their technology, {trained in} Crossfit, learning Spanish, and giving to youth without {fretting about} money. [Too long=I’m {beginning to|needs to} lose interest]
My need {would be to} {study from} you (not your typical money wisdom), {as well as your} need is that you or someone {you understand} {might use} me {just like a|such as a} {sit down elsewhere} on a Monday morning. [This is where most busy people {decide} {never to} read on]
I’ve seen enough cases now, yours included {of individuals} vice gripping life and {rendering it} {their very own}. I’ve {been} service oriented in the quiet leader type way, and I’ve made smart no risk decisions, I’m 25 {and can} {no more} take the slow road. I’m primed for {a rest}, {and you will be} unrelenting until it comes. I’d {prefer to} include you {for the reason that} because {I believe} you’re smart, {on the way} up, and accessible. Please review me below, {I am hoping} {you may make} {usage of} me before I realize my full potential {and become} swept up {for the reason that}.
Although {I could} be wordy, I’m {not just a} magician with words, I’ll lay my {most effective} qualities/experiences out in bullet points. {I am hoping} you see them {when i} do, as ammunition.
- will power like no other (never lost a “bet you can’t stay…”)
- technical savant (no technology too frustrating or complex)
- people person (communication {is really a} strength, met several C level execs, Sony {for example})
- action oriented, all plans suck without implementation. simple plans plus action work.
- business man. started and sold several businesses
- founder of [Company]
- i save 11% of what i make, split to an IRA and emergency fund. i make {hardly any}.
- building a backup information product and breaking the ice of online marketing
- traveled {the planet} while {being truly a} digital worker
- self starter, will succeed and {start to see the} positive {no matter|irrespective of} situation
- educated, technical, fast and {i believe} before i act
Would you {i want to} {assist you to} or someone {you understand} {with one of these} skills? If yes, please {connect to} me.
Honestly, the guy {appears like} {a good} guy {who would like to} offer his services. {I believe}. I’m {not necessarily} sure.
But {rather than} {getting back in} my head and suggesting how he {may help} me specifically, he just listed {a number of} vague skills {which were} {all around the} board.
And the call-to-action is…for me to “connect” with him? I responded, {when i} usually do to vague emails, with a 1-sentence: “{Just what exactly} {do you want to} do for/with me?” He sent another rambling email, so {at that time} {I just} shrugged and {shifted} with {my entire life}.
GOOD EMAIL:
Subject line: {I wish to|I would like to} {do the job} {free of charge} [Best subject line I’ve ever received]
Hey Ramit,
Love {your website}, especially the articles about automation and personal entrepreneurship. It’s {due to} you that {I’ve} multiple ING Direct {makes up about} my savings goals, a Roth IRA, automatic contributions, and asset allocation {all initiated}. [Good buttering me up]
I’m a writer for [Company], {a niche site} that gets around 50 million hits {monthly}. I {i did so} freelance work exclusively, and I’m {getting ready to} make the switch {back again to} doing freelance work ~30 hours / week while I travel and study in China. [He’s {in my own} head: I’m always {searching for} talented writers and he’s clearly {among} them]
In order {to start out} getting myself back {on the market}, I’d {want to} have {the opportunity to} do some {do the job}, completely gratis. {If you want} my work {and also have} some paid projects {for me personally} {later on}, that’d be great {needless to say}, but I’d be happy {simply for} {the chance} to network and {get a} little advice. I’m sure {you’ve got a} project or two {in the rear of} {your mind} that you haven’t had {time and energy to} produce yourself yet; {i want to} do it {for you personally}! [I {THINK IT’S GREAT}!! As {a matter of known fact}, yes {I REALLY DO} {involve some} side projects I’ve been {attempting to} do]
You {can provide} me a call at ###, or find me on Google Talk under this address. {You may also|You can even} {have a look at} some {examples of} {might work} here: [website]
Thank you!
Two things:
- That was {the very best} subject line I’ve ever received.
- It’s clear, concise and makes me {a solid} offer while highlighting his experience. I called him within 60 seconds of receiving this email.
Note {that should you} {are seeking} paying clients, {it is possible to} often {miss the} work-for-free arrangement that I often urge by creating {a remarkably} niche offer. {For instance}, if {he previously} attended {the final} 5 video office hours {I did so} and had heard me make an offhand comment {about how exactly} I’ve been {attempting to} launch XXX project, his subject line {could possibly be}: “{I could} {assist you to} launch XXX in {14 days}.” {This may} then {construct} why he’s good, what {he’d} do, {also it} could lead {right to} paid work.
When it {involves} communicating {together with your} prospects, I hear {lots of people} complain that they’ve tried {to attain} out with little success. {The simple truth is} they’re often {trying} in {the wrong manner}. But by {getting back in} your clients’ heads, {it is possible to} fix that and write emails that engage and lead {right to} paid work – no fancy {online marketing strategy} needed.
Bonus: {Desire to} {home based}, control your schedule, and {earn more income}? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to {Working at home}.
Exact scripts {to really get your} freelance writing business started
I {come up with} my 5 best word-for-word scripts for locating and communicating with potential writing clients.
You can copy, paste, and modify these {in only} {a few momemts} to send to {clients} or other {freelance article writers}.
Just enter your email below {to get} {the next} scripts instantly:
- How {to create} an informational interview.
- How to {require} recommendations for {visitors to} {speak to}.
- How to cold email a stranger for advice.
- How {to create} a pitch for a consulting gig {or perhaps a} {appointment}.
- How {to attain} out to others in {your organization} {to access} know them.